#Got really nitpicky with Ragna

[cloudyspider]

Rereading/watching Calamity Trigger's Story Mode and going down every character to see some interesting tidbits I may've overlooked or get some new perspective or just plain old atm thoughts upon finishing their story. Want to get my thoughts down and ramble starting with Ragna and Jin.

Ragna's CT story is kinda... uninteresting on it's own for the most part. There's moments here and there that are fascinating particularly with the bad end he fuses with Nu and becomes "Something" with her that devolves into the Black Beast. Besides that it's a pretty straight forward introduction to Ragna as a protagonist but not so much as a character if that makes sense. It sells well the idea that he's the gruff protag on a mission with a heart of gold somewhere deep at the same time though it doesn't sell well the idea of him being the guy who can mercilessly mow down an army like how he could in his short story that ties in to CT. Like he's clearly not as stable as he appears as clear in the alt ending where he gets saved by Jubei from Hakumen but it ultimately ends up overshadowed by his feel as a protagonist.

There's two scenes that aren't interesting by themselves in the story mode but are within wider context. One of them is his scene with Rachel and her possy of Nago, Gii, and later Valkenhayn doing everything in their power to piss him off. Before some retconning later on Ragna does not recognize Valkenhayn making this their first meeting here. Between this and him not knowing Trinity as a Six Hero makes me wonder if there was originally some reason why he wouldn't know that information like it was intentionally withheld. The other scene for more peculiar reasons is the previously mentioned scene of Jubei saving Ragna for a few reasons. Despite Jubei saving him Ragna's reaction is one of anger and indignation at being saved before having a meltdown that had to be cured by going to the chinese food place with Tao. It's this and his vitriol with Rachel that really does have me believe that his relationship with them and his sanity was deteriorating bad the longer he was doing his thing. As an aside his lecture to Ragna about the adage concerning the Azure and what he should be fighting for is was weird with context. The adage "Do not mistake the Power of the Azure as your own" is fine on a surface level but really ill placed concerning the fact Ragna is having a quite literal skill issue in dealing with Hakumen and not a misuse of the Azure Grimoire. And the "What are you fighting for? You're losing sight of what's really important" bit is strange because it's obviously about having having the power of the Azure to save and protect his loved ones but Jubei himself destroyed that notion in Ragna by telling him that Saya can't be saved and leaving only his hatred of Terumi and anything related to him. Just really odd.

As a fun fact that I just realized Ragna's nickname of "Good Guy" by Tao was first coined by Rachel describing him her as a backhanded compliment over sparing Arakune.

Jin's story mode was honestly a fun read and a good introduction to him as a character. It really does sell him well as a callous dead-inside man who can only really start feeling alive once he thinks he can kill his brother again. From seeing the cold disregard he had to Bang and anything to with Ikaruga to the manic insanity he has when he deals with either Ragna or Noel is really striking. It paints well the kind of person who could make the mistakes that would make Hakumen in one timeline. Yeah I just don't have anything really negative to say in this regard.

90% it's just my weird interpretation but seeing the different facets of Jin displayed here makes it seems like he has multiple personalities. It's like he has different personalities for times and places rather than a transitory and developing one over all. From how he's a friendly and kind student back in the military academy, how he's like in when the story mode takes place, and even the nascent form of what I'd call "emo LN protag Jin" is present. I can't think of exact moments where Jin changes like Makoto does in Heart to Heart where she goes abrasive to who she later becomes. He just goes from Friendly Student Council President in his school days, to Broody LN Protag in Spiral Shift, to the Callous Arrogant Dickhead he is by CT's time and there's no in-between for any of them. Just my thoroughly wrong atm though and not a big deal.

There was a curious thing going where the narration focuses on his right hand a few times like how it was stained in Noel Vermillion's blood one in one scene or how he could only move it and not the rest of his body in another. The former could've been symbolic of his part in the burning of the church (going by a CT only interpretation and maybe killing Saya but that's bunked) but he's pretty much a non entity in terms of blame nowadays.

Surprisingly there's a brief line a dialogue from the head of the Kisaragi Family here. It's actually positive concerning his talents.

That about sums up my immeadiate thoughts. Onto Noel and Rachel next.

#blazblue #ragna the bloodedge #jin kisaragi #ramblings #Got really nitpicky with Ragna #Almost wish the Kisaragi Head was a supportive supporting character for Jin #I dislike the cartoonishly Cinderella's Evil Step Sister vibe the Kisaragi's get whenever they're mentioned with him